Animal trap



A. JOSEPH ANIMAL TRAP Oct. 13, 1931.

Filed March 21. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l fllexafld r tibseph By Allomey ANIMAL TRAP Filed March 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor A llomcy Oct. 13, 1931.

Filed March 21. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Alexander c7bseph By A ltomey Patented Oct. '13, 1931 UNITED STATES ALEXANDER JOSEPH, or JACKSONVILLE, rrioarna, nssrenoa no JAoKsnvrLLn, rr-. o arnn ANIMALafnaI! J 7 Application filed March 21, 1930. eardrum-4:17.810.

The present invention relates to an animal casing which comprises a base with an up standing rear wall 6, and upstanding side;

and the like and the prime object of the invention resides in the provision of an im- :1 proved trap door having a tilting treadle or I platform mounted thereon with circuit close ing means actuated thereby for releasinga catch which permits the trap door to swing downwardly to drop the victim into a casing.

Another very important object of the invention resides in the provision of an animal trap of this nature which is simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture,

thoroughly efiicient and reliable in use and operation, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

Inthe drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan viewof the trap embodying the features of my invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section therethrough, v

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section therethrough, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the letter C denotes generally a walls 7 and 8; The forward upper edges of the side walls 7 and 8-inclinedown'wardly and forwardly and have mounted thereon a similarly inclined plate 9. merging at its upper end into a horizontal extension 10. A

door 11 is hingedly'connected to the top of the wall 8 throughv the medium'of a bar 11' which is pivoted at its ends as at 12. Arms 14 extend from the bar 11 outwardly and then downwardly and are weighted as at 15 at their bottom ends so as to normally the form of an armature attractable by an electro-magnet'2O mounted on an extension 21 of the base 5. platform 26 is rockably mountedintermediate at its e ds as, at on thedoor ll and a spring S isoperatively ena I gaged-therewithso that-the platform wi l heiti-lted in the position shown in Figure 4,

until the victim walks thereon to the. rear end thereof on which will be disposed;- suitable bait 28.' l 2 A circuit closer in the form ofa base of insulating material 29. is mounted on the exten sion 10Yand has pivoted thereon ailarin 300/11 end-of which extends over. the forw rdendof the platform 26 and the other end of which is adapted to engage a fixed conta,ct3,l;on the base29.;

The pivot support 32 for the arm 30; and the fixed contact 31 are in circuitrw-ith the electromagnet and a suitable source of 3 .60

ure'2.-T...

'Therefore it: will-be seenthat when the triealv energy as is clearly. illustrated in .Figi 7 form' to'obtain the bait 2-8, the platform willbe tiltedso. asto swing thearm 30.-into. engagment with the contact 31 thereby closing the circuit to energize theelectroemagnetwhich willattract' the armaturefeiid 19 of the catch 17 to release it from the lug 16 and the door will then swing downwardly into the casing causing the victim to fall therein and will return to its normal position through thecounamen-'0 L7G, victim climbs: upon the plate. 2 onto the plat- 'terbalancing action of the arms 14 and thereof. A foraminous wall 44 rises from one-side ofthe casing adjacent the eag'e41.

A rear wall 45 of foraminous material rises from the rear of the casing and is curved over the doorand platform. A plurality of fin- I i gers 46 rise from the bar 11 and tend to push the victim down into the casing when the door'swings inwardly should the victim attempt to escape.

It is thought that the'construetio-n, opera tion, utility and advantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

A trap of the character described comprising a casing open at its top and including a bottom, a vertical end wall and vertical side walls, portions of the upper edges of the side walls being inclined, an inclined wall on the inclined edge portions of the side walls, constituting a runway, said runway terminating in a horizontal extension formed integrally on its upper end, a door hingedly mounted longitudinally on one of the side walls for swinging movement in a vertical plane into the casing, one side portion of the door being engageable with the extension for limiting the swinging movement of the door in an upward direction, a rockable platform pivoted transversely on the door, electrically actuated means for releasably retaining the door in substantially horizontal position, and a circuit closing switch electrically connected with said means mounted on the extension and engageable by the platform for actuation thereby.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALEXANDER JOSEPH. 

